World Report 2020

Our annual review of human rights around the globe

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China’s Global Threat to Human Rights

Kenneth Roth, Former Executive Director

Browse Countries

Two Years After #MeToo Erupts, A New Treaty Anchors Workplace Shifts

Shutting Down the Internet to Shut Up Critics

Going to the Bank for Food, Not Money: The Growing Reality of Hunger in “Rich” Countries

With Millions Out of School, the Countdown Begins to Get All Children into Quality, Accessible Education

As Killer Robots Loom, Demands Grow to Keep Humans in Control of Use of Force

Holding Companies to Account: Momentum Builds for Corporate Human Rights Duties

World Report 2020 is Human Rights Watch’s 30th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. The 652-page volume reviews human rights practices and trends in nearly 100 countries.

In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth says that the Chinese government, which depends on repression to stay in power, is carrying out the most intense attack on the global human rights system in decades. He finds that Beijing’s actions both encourage and gain support from autocratic populists around the globe, while Chinese authorities use their economic clout to deter criticism from other governments. It is urgent to resist this assault, which threatens decades of progress on human rights and our future. Read the news release.